Jon Gruden discusses Oakland Raiders' GM Reggie McKenzie

Asked Jon Gruden on a conference call about Reggie McKenzie's philosophy of identifying high-character players and the whether any of the athletes he had on his ESPN shows fit that criteria, and here was his response:

"I think Reggie's going to do fine. He's got an unbelievable pedigree. He's been around the best football people in the business, guys like Ron Wolf and others. No question about that. He has a background with the Raiders being a former player with Oakland. And I know football character and character is highly touted when it comes to finding and developing players, and Reggie McKenzie is going to find guys that I think fit that criteria. I think all of the kids that we have in here this year have high football character.

Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie walks on the field before the Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers game at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)

"I also feel like every once in a while you need some characters. You need a couple guys that are a little off the beaten path, maybe guys that live in the left lane to a degree. But the Raiders are rebuilding. Obviously, they've made dramatic changes on their roster. They've let go of some veterans that are well½'recognized and I'm sure leaders on that football team. So not only do you have to find character, you better find some playmakers, because everybody else in the league has them. "